Forum:Aristotelian Virtue, Hellenistic Culture and the New Imperialism: Why Coca-Cola, Kentucky Fried Chicken and NASCAR Rule the World
My name is Rob J. King. I am a Theological Ethicist. In my training at the B.A., M.Div., Th.M. and Ph.D. levels I have read everyone from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Karl Barth (German Swiss Theologian who resisted Hitler in nazi Germany) to Thomas Aquinas to Plato. In many ways, I prefer Eastern Orthodox Virtue because it is rooted in a primarily Monastic Vision of the Christian Life, granted neo-Platonic philosophically, but nonetheless an ascending life of holiness as paradigmatic for when Christians find ourselves in positions of rulership. Here is where Aristotle proves helpful for our own curiously imperialistic Nation State, the United States of America. Aristotle, albeit pagan, was nonetheless seeking an ideal of Virtue that was rooted in a type of culture. Virtue, for Aristotle, was not some abstract principle separate from culture, but instead was emeshed in culture. When Aristotle's student, Alexander the Great conquered most of the Middle East (reaching all of the way into India), what was left over when the official conquest ended was a culture. Hellenism. Hellenistic culture for all of its flaws (e.g. homosexuality to include pedophilia of older men and younger boys), was nonetheless a step forward from the utter barbarism of the surrounding cultures of the Middle East. Greek language, Greek philosophy and Greek food held together much of the 'civilized' world. To be frank, such Hellenism even lasted all of the way through the Islamic conquest as even Islamic Natural Law scholars read Aristotle and even helped reintroduce his philosophy back into Western Christendom through Spain. In fact, the founding of the United States of America as a democratic Republic was thoroughly influenced by Hellenistic culture, complete with Hellenistic architecture, Hellenistic symbology, and Hellenistic culture has continued through our Higher Educational systems. Take any introductory course in Ethics or Philosophy and one is reintroduced to Hellenism. But now, rather than Virtue (for example the Virtue that guided the Equal Rights emphasis as found within the U.S. Constitution, granted needing later ammendment to include women and African Americans), the only thing that holds U.S. Imperialism together is a RUTHLESS compilation of pop cultural icons. Coca-Cola, KFC and NASCAR are what it means to be an American in the Southern United States of America. If you live in the north, then it is still Coca-Cola, but instead McDonald's and NBA basketball. If you live on the West Coast, then it is still Coca-Cola, but instead Taco Bell and NFL football. We are a cultural empire that dominates the world, but what are we dominating the world with? Is our current vision of state-sanctioned torture (for example, C.I.A. water-boarding to obtain information from suspected terrorists) ANY different or better than those whom we claim as our National enemies? What type of particularly "American" Virtue do we have? I am convinced now, after having lived my entire life in the U.S.A., and after having travelled to South Africa, Guatemala and Mexico that we do not have anything that is uniquely virtuous as a Nation State. All we have are a large number of Christians, Catholic, African American and Evangelical (Anglo) holding the Nation State together. Any virtue in the U.S.A. is what has been left over from the initial Christian founding of the U.S. We are a brutal, pagan nation outside of Jesus Christ. So, if you wish for a BETTER, more virtuous America, do not think that "liberal" or "conservative" is going to get you anywhere. ONLY through Jesus Christ can there be a better America. This Jesus Christ is NEITHER liberal nor conservative, but strangely BOTH and also strangely neither. Get to know Jesus and get to know truth. Blessings in Jesus, Rob J. King --RobJKing 18:08, 16 October 2007 (UTC)